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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24915745">Abiding Admissions</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fortuna14/pseuds/Fortuna14'>Fortuna14</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Learning to Live, Failing to Function [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Hanging Out, Rouge is out on G.U.N. work, Shadow needs more friends, So Shadow is bugging Knuckles</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 04:27:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>552</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24915745</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fortuna14/pseuds/Fortuna14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>With Rouge out on a G.U.N. mission Shadow goes and hangs out with Knuckles.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Knuckles the Echidna &amp; Shadow the Hedgehog</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Learning to Live, Failing to Function [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1355497</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Abiding Admissions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had gotten late.  Later than either cared to comment on.  The moon was high in the sky, shinning bright with only a few days left until it was waning rather than waxing. </p><p> </p><p>Shadow laid out in the grass in from of the Master Emerald's Shrine, the guardian of said shrine lying next to him.  </p><p> </p><p>Rouge had been called out to do some work for G.U.N. leaving Shadow alone in the apartment for the better part of a week. It was 3 days before he cracked and decided to visit Knuckles.  He knew Rouge would be back, but the doubt was still there in the back of his mind.</p><p> </p><p>Knuckles honestly wasn't too surprised when Shadow had shown up that afternoon.  Rouge had let him know she'd be gone, as had become habit, so he had been expecting him at some point. </p><p> </p><p>Knuckles wasn't Rouge, but he was good company, he didn't ask invasive questions and allowed Shadow to simply be. The same couldn't be said for most of Shadow's acquaintances.</p><p> </p><p>It was nice to simply exist in the same space as another person, though.  So that was what they did, Shadow working on his course work on Rouge's old laptop and Knuckles rearranging his plans for the day so he ended up translating text from pictures he'd taken at one of the ruins.  </p><p> </p><p>It had been a relaxing afternoon, which turned into evening quickly enough.  And soon turned into night, causing both to need to stop their previous tasks as the darkness took over.</p><p> </p><p>Leaving the laptop and his bag at the shrine, Shadow went forward a few yards and plopped down into the grass.  Before lying down and looking up at the stars.</p><p> </p><p>"It's kind of amazing, how much clearer the stars are up here." Shadow comments absent-mindedly, he liked the stars, they made him feel like he was home.</p><p> </p><p>"Probably has to do with lack of artificial light on the Island." Knuckles responds, taking a seat next to Shadow and joining him in his stargazing.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>"Do you ever wonder what'll be like in another 50 years?" Shadow asks suddenly, breaking the silence that had comfortably fallen over the two of them.</p><p> </p><p>"Not necessarily in 50 years, but I get what you mean." And Knuckles did.  His own age was nebulous at this point.  He was the last servant to the Master Emerald, the only recipient of it's power, in a sense.  He would exist for as long as the Master Emerald held strength, and this was something he had come to terms with. </p><p> </p><p>"I don't want to go through that again." Shadow admits, unusually vulnerable in his admission.  </p><p> </p><p>It surprised Knuckles a bit. They weren't . . . Well, he supposed they were friends after a fashion.  Sure it had started with trying not to get Rouge's ire directed at them, but he could honestly say that he enjoyed Shadow's company, at this point. </p><p> </p><p>Knuckles moves his arm so that his hand rests on Shadow's shoulder.  Shadow finches at the unexpected contact but settles back easily enough.</p><p> </p><p>"You won't be alone this time." Knuckles says, squeezing the other's shoulder.  His words read like a promise. "It's not like I'm going anywhere."</p><p> </p><p>To Shadow it feels like a weight is lifted off his soul, one he hadn't even realize was there.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I am considering adding to this.  I'm not sure yet.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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